


A twist of fate

by Lastsyns



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Anal Sex, F/M, Oral Sex, Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:27:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24890806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lastsyns/pseuds/Lastsyns
Summary: She thought a night with Jack would help her to relax, now she faces the unknown with something she never thought she would experience.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Jack Harkness
Comments: 11
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Certainlynotmom for your help.

"Don't give the lone cyberman what he wants." 

A simple message from a long-lost friend delivered by her new friends. Yet, she had done exactly that. She had given it what it wanted in order to save others. Now she was alone in the TARDIS once more with her gang safe back on Earth. She wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to travel with her anymore after the past few days. It had been hard and she had been lied to once more by the Master in a desperate attempt for her to understand his madness and she hated him for it. As Missy, she felt that she had almost gotten through to him but this man had destroyed Galifrey over lies that he had found hidden deep in the archives. She wasn't the Time Less child of lore. She was just another Time Lord and now thanks to him she was the last again. 

She stood stretching, she didn't want to think about that. Not tonight. What she wanted was a friend who had helped her with the pain of losing her planet before. Who also knew the pain of losing everyone he loved as well. She needed someone who would just share a drink with her, not making her talk about the pain she carried. What she needed was Jack. Going to the controls she input the coordinates to a small bar in space that he had frequented many times. It was where she had found him in her tenth body as she waited to regenerate and she was positive that she would find him there again. The TARDIS was kind to her as she piloted it to her destination and she landed with barely a thud. Grabbing her long coat she strolled off the TARDIS, finding Jack sitting the bar. He was chatting to the young man next to him and she could tell that the man was interested. She thought about leaving but instead strolled across the room going up to him. 

"Buy me a drink?" She questioned. Jack turned his eyes roaming her body before landing on her face again. She could see the hope in his eyes as he answered her. 

"Such hard work," he told her. 

"But worth it," she responded. He smiled brightly at her the hope gone as the happiness reached his eyes. He was thousands of years old now, just like her, and yet he could still smile at her the way he did when he was in his early thirties. Time hadn't ruined him completely and for that she was thankful. 

"Hello, Doctor. It's nice to see you again and can I just say I am loving the new body," Jack flirted. The man beside him was forgotten as Jack's full attention was now on her. "So what can I buy you? If I remember correctly you used to favor whiskey or brandy but maybe you would like something a little sweeter this time around."

"Whiskey, and make it a double," She answered as she took a seat on the now-vacated stool next to him. He motioned for the bartender to get her drink then turned to look at her again.

"That bad, huh?" He questioned and she nodded. She didn't elaborate and he didn't expect her to as her drink arrived. Picking up the whiskey she brought it to her mouth downing it quickly. Her face immediately scrunched in disgust at the flavor of the alcohol.

"Yuck," she stated as she set the glass back down. 

"Another?" Jack asked her. 

"Please," she responded. Jack laughed as he had the bartender refill her glass. She didn't drink it right away she picked up the glass holding it. 

"So what brings you here?" Jack wondered trying again to have a conversation with her. 

"You do," She answered causing Jack to smile again. "Stop it, my fam told me your message and I came here to thank you but to also tell you that I had to give him what he wanted. We managed to stop him and the rest of the cybermen in the end, though." It was Jack's turn to nod. He knew that she hadn't changed history as he wanted and the cybermen had still wreaked havoc killing many innocent people. He had tried to stop them by himself but there were too many and the only way he even stood a chance of defeating them was with the message he passed to the Doctor. By telling her, she had entered the war and saved millions more from dying needlessly in battle. 

"You're welcome and if that's all you came here for then I must say farewell because there is a lovely gentlemen over there who I might be able to convince to warm my bed tonight," Jack told her as he finished off his own drink and started to stand. 

"Or you could warm mine," She offered causing him to pause. He looked at her the hope clear in his eyes once more. 

"Only if you're offering," He flirted. She finished off her drink then stood up. 

"The TARDIS is this way," she told him. Jack could already feel himself hardening as he practically jumped off his stool as he hurried after her. Together they entered the TARDIS and she closed the doors behind them. He had to wait for her to send the TARDIS into the vortex then bring it out again orbiting a small planet as she really didn't want to wake to find that her TARDIS had moved during the night without her permission. She then made her way down the corridor to her room. He eagerly followed her inside looking around as he did. He had been in the room before and the basic room still looked the same. The blankets though were now a maroon color rather than the black the first Doctor he traveled with favored or the blue the second one had. Other than that it still had the same cluttered desk with clutter bookshelves against the wall. 

She took off her coat, throwing it onto a chair then sat down on the bed to beginning removing her boots. Jack removed his coat as well placing it beside her coat with care. The coat was his last gift from Ianto before he died in his arms and he made sure to treat it with care as he wanted it to last as long as possible. He pushed the thought aside as he turned his attention back to the Doctor. She had finished taking off her shoes and was now unfastening her braces.

"Need some help?" Jack offered.

"No. I can do it," She answered. Jack chuckled as she was obviously clueless to why he was asking. He stepped forward and she looked up at him. "Why aren't you undressing?"

"Well, I thought there would be more to it. Usually, after I buy someone a drink we kiss before moving to the bedroom. Then I help them to undress," Jack stated. A puzzled look crossed her face. 

"Do they need help?" She questioned. Jack sighed. 

"No, but it part of foreplay. You do know what that is don't you, Doctor?" Jack asked feeling frustrated even if a certain part of his body was still interested. 

"Of course I do, but I can assure you Jack there is no need to help me undress," She stated. She sent a telepathic message to the TARDIS and the lights dimmed low making it hard for Jack to see her as she finished undressing then climbed beneath the blankets. Not wanting to lose the opportunity presented to him, he quickly followed suit joining her. Even if she had invited him into her bed he wasn't sure how to proceed as he moved closer to her. He put his hand on her stomach and felt her tense as he did so. 

"Can I kiss you?" He wondered softly. 

"Yeah," She breathed. He leaned over pushing his lips against hers. Her mouth was cool and her lips tasted like whiskey. It brought him back to simpler times as he kissed her and ran his hand lower. She caught it before he could touch her, though. "Don't."

"I won't do anything that you are uncomfortable with but foreplay does help you get ready for penetration. So if you don't want me to use my fingers, I could just use my mouth instead," Jack offered. 

"Time Lords don't do or need that sort of thing," She told him sounding offended. 

"Alright, then tell me where the condoms are," Jack replied.

"Is that some other type of weird ape behavior?" She questioned. He started to chuckle then he realized that she was being serious. 

"You have to be a couple of thousand of years old by now and you don't know what a condom is," Jack stated. 

"I haven't followed everything that humans do in their bedrooms. I have to much to do with keeping you lot alive. So either you stop suggesting these weird human things and get on with it or I can just get dressed again," She threatened him. 

"You're the boss. I am just worried about possibly getting you pregnant in this body," Jack informed her. She laughed at him and he felt the need to get another drink as he moved to straddle her body. She let her legs fall open and he reached down taking his cock in his hand. She had said no fingers but he didn't use those as he ran it up her slit to her clitoris. She gasped as he rubbed the head of his cock against the little nub providing her stimulation. After a moment, he ran it back down finding her wetter. He pushed in gently feeling the coolness of her body as he filled her as deeply as he could. He felt frustrated again by her stipulations as he wasn't supposed to touch her as he thrust into her body. He couldn't help but think of the man he let get away and how he would have taken him in his mouth before bending him over the bed and having his way with him. He stopped moving as he realized that she wasn't saying his name, breathing heavier or doing any of the little things his partners normally did. 

"Are you even enjoying this?" Jack questioned her. 

"Hmm?" She wondered clearly not paying attention to what he was saying and therefore her mind had been elsewhere while he was inside her. She really knew how to make a man feel wanted and he stopped himself from once again leaving as he was determined to actually make this feel good for her. 

"Listen, there's no way in hell that I'm doing this and you're going to lie back and think of England," Jack scolded her softly. 

"I wasn't thinking of England. I was thinking of the star system, Albireo. Did you know that it has a fascinating history of how it became to be a triple star system with planets orbiting it?" She questioned him. Jack stared at her for a second. Reaching over to the other side of the bed he grabbed the pillow he used his weight to help push her bottom higher off the bed. He placed the pillow under her hips to hold her up and then gave an experimental thrust at the new angel. A small smile crossed his face as she let out an involuntary moan. 

"Now, let's try this again. What is the square root of 84.6," Jack asked her as he thrust again. He couldn't see but knew that she had rolled her eyes at him as she answered. 

"Please, I don't need my entire brain to answer a question that a toddler would know," she panted at him. 

"Sarcasm means your still able to think and that won't do," Jack answered thrusting harder as he leaned down nipping her softly on her earlobe. 

"Jack," she cried out her body arching off the bed. He felt proud of himself as he continued to thrust now back in the moment himself as he listened to her pant and cry out as he moved. Her legs wrapped around him and she lifted her arms pulling him close as she breathed in steady little gasps. He could tell she was getting close and he was determined to make her orgasm at least once. He pressed his face into her shoulder, kissing the crook of her neck then nipping it softly. She tensed, her body shuddering as she cried out his name. She was still shuddering as he thrust as deeply as he could into her falling over the edge as well. He continued to lay on top of her buried deep within her body as he tried to catch his breath. 

"That was better than I thought it would be," she panted as she let her arms fall. 

"You really know how to make a man feel wanted, Doc," Jack answered. 

"I chose you to warm my bed didn't I," she responded missing the point. He opened his mouth to argue then closed it again. Despite having to fight to get both of them to orgasm he had reached it and did feel sated. Wanting to rest for a while, he rolled to the side. With his weight off of her, she immediately stood heading to the loo. He saw her pale arse in the light of the door with her legs glistening. He mentally stored the picture as she closed the door leaving him in the darkness of the room once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack could hear the showering running as he laid in the bed and he let his eyes drift closed as the heavy blanket in the cool room helped lull him to sleep. As he felt the darkness of sleep overtake him, his last thought was still of Ianto and he swore to himself once again that he would never forget the young man who he had shared just a moment in time. He woke hours later to find that he was still alone in the bed. He wasn't bothered by the fact that she didn't return that night to keep him company as the Doctor had never been one to snuggle. He had enjoyed having his hand held and quick hugs and except for the one time after the long year, Jack hadn't been allowed in his bed. That one time they had held each other, just taking comfort that their year of torment was over. So rather than worrying about the fact she wasn't around, he pulled himself out of her bed. Making his way to the ensuite, he used the loo and showered before going back out to dress. He smiled as he saw her lying in her bed again staring at him. 

"Once more for the road?" Jack questioned her. She nodded and he made his way over climbing in beside her. He didn't get a chance to look at her naked body as the lights immediately dimmed. He vowed he would get the chance one day as he moved over her straddling her body. He didn't penetrate her right away as he leaned down to kiss her softly cool lips. His own body was hardening and he thrust himself gently between her legs as he waited for them both to be ready. "You know it doesn't have to be this one time. We can do this whenever and wherever you want."

"I'm really busy. Once I drop you back off at the pub, I have to go get my fam from Earth. I promised them I would take them to Woman's wept for a day of ice skating before we went on an adventure again. The same old life in the TARDIS with new worlds to see and people who need my help," she rambled on. Jack wasn't hurt by the dismissal. The Doctor never seemed to have time for him after he became immortal and that was all right. He was finding his own way through the universe and he had no doubt that one day their paths would cross again. It didn't matter whether she had this face or another as long as he got to see her again. 

"It doesn't have to be in this body or the next. Just whenever you need me," Jack reassured her. 

"I'll keep that in mind," she agreed finally. He leaned down to kiss her again then reaching over he grabbed his pillow, placing it under her hips. He then took his cock in his hand rubbing it down until it nudged against her anus. She took a deep breath in squirming as she felt it. He didn't push in though bringing it back up and pushing it inside her. She cried out as he bottomed out his groin pushing against her as he made sure he was all the way in. Not wanting her to lose interest again, he began to thrust hard and fast as he wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her against him holding her tightly as he thrust roughly inside her. Her own arms wrapped around him holding him just as tightly as he moved. He kept up the pace not giving her time to think as he listened to her breathing in quick breaths. She tensed not quite falling over the edge yet and he bit down on her shoulder being careful not to bite to hard. 

"Jack," she cried out losing herself as her whole body went tense and relaxed once more into shudders. He wasn't close so he kept moving bringing her over the edge a second time before he pushed in deep filling her with his seed. Collapsing down on her, he held her as shudders wracked her body. He didn't move until they slowed and only then did he slip out of her. He left her laying on the bed as he went to the ensuite for a flannel. Cleaning himself off he then brought one back for her so that she could do the same. She took it and reached under the blankets as he turned his back to her. His suit was still laying where he left it and he took his time dressing until the lights in the room came on. Only then did he turn around to find her sitting fully dressed in the chair pulling her boots on. 

"Is the kettle on?" Jack asked her. 

"Always," she answered. Jack picked up his own boots and coat heading to the kitchen. He had to wait for a few minutes while the water in the kettle came to a boil. She only had instant coffee but it was still caffeine so he made himself a cup and her a cup of tea. Taking his chances he made it just like his previous Doctor had liked it, extra strong with too much sugar. She entered the room as he was finishing making the cuppas and he handed her one. She took the cup and took a sip humming her pleasure at the taste. "You always did make good tea."

"Yeah, well you are easy to make tea for," Jack informed her. Those were the only words spoken between them as they finished their drinks in silence. Once done, she didn't wait for him to try to delay her again as she went to the control room. It was a quick jump back to the bar and she drove while Jack put back on his shoes and coat. 

"Goodbye, Jack," She told him as he moved towards the door. He turned saluting her. 

"I'll be seeing you around, Doc," He responded. She saluted him with two fingers and he sauntered off the TARDIS. The door had barely closed before she was dematerializing and he stood watching until he could no longer see the blue outline of the box. Going back out into the main part of the pub, he found that she had dropped him off almost exactly after they left. The man he had been flirting with was at a table alone. Smiling, Jack made his way over to join him.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite what she told Jack, she didn't return to her fam right away. Instead, she chose to float in the vortex as she tried to decide what she wanted to do next. Apart of her wanted to leave them behind to move on. While she always found it harder to leave the first companions that her new face saw behind, she never was able to keep them long no matter how hard she tried. Even if she chose to go back one day they would grow tired of the traveling and running and that was alright. She would hug them one last time before leaving them back on Earth to live out their lives without her being a part of it. Yaz would finally be able to live out her dream of joining the police force while Ryan and Graham could become the family they always dreamed of having. They would think of her sometimes and the wonders they saw but in the end, she would just become a story that Ryan and Yaz told their grandchildren. 

In her eleventh body, she would leave her companions alone for years at a time while she traveled the universe alone. She had River then to go to as well as several others and she didn't fear herself the way she did in her tenth body when she was alone. Then she had become the Time Lord Victorious and it was only the death of Adelaide that convinced her that she had made a mistake. One that she swore she would never make again. Still, Donna and Amy had been right when they said she shouldn't travel alone and she knew in her hearts that she should go to her companions again. Then again, she could always return to Jack. She would give it some time though for him, a couple of months or years his time. Just long enough that he doesn't think she returned because she missed him. 

She sighed. Jack didn't deserve that. She had hurt him enough over the years without on purposely staying away just to make him wait for her again. He waited long enough the first time after she ran from him just because he had become immortal against his own will. She could come up with a million excuses about why she left and didn't come back but the truth was she was a coward. He was right not to travel again with her when she asked him to after that long year and he had every right to tell her no again if she asked him to come with her. 

She stood up from where she had been sitting on the Captain's chair while contemplating her options. She stretched feeling it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She had been having this same argument with herself for several days now and she wasn't any closer to making a decision about what she wanted to do or where she wanted to go. She felt lost and despite not believing what the Master told her about the Time Less child it was always at the back of her mind nagging her. Did she really have lifetimes of memories that had been hidden from her by the Time Lords in order to manipulate her into their will? Is that why when she was a child standing before the untempered schism she had been the only one to run while everyone else stood there staring? Thanks to the Master, she would never have the answers she needed. Then again, even if he hadn't killed all of the other Time Lords they still would not have answered her questions. 

She tried not to think about that as she walked around the console flicking switches and hitting buttons. Returning to the monitor, she set the coordinates to random. The TARDIS always knew what she needed over the years whether it was to run, save people, or just relax for a few hours and she hoped this time would be no different. She barely thought about the familiar movements as she piloted the TARDIS to the unknown destination. The TARDIS landed with a slight bump and she pulled on her coat excited to find a large field in front of her. It was night time and above her, the stars showed brightly filling the sky. Here there was no light pollution to dim the stars allowing her to see thousands shining down on her. It was beautiful and something that her fam would have loved to see. 

It wasn't what she wanted, though. What she wanted was to be distracted so that she didn't have to think. Still, she found herself wandering off the TARDIS making sure that the door was closed tightly behind her. She walked slowly across the grass just dragging her feet as she walked. The night was cool with a slight breeze and she put her hands in her coat pockets while she moved. Slowly she picked up her pace until she was running as quickly as she could across the open field. Her hands no longer in her pockets, she ran beneath the stars not concentrating on where she was going or what had happened recently. She had been wrong when she stepped off. This was exactly what she needed and she ran feeling free beneath the stars. She continued to run until her legs ached and her lungs burned for breath only then did she circle back to the TARDIS. 

Going inside, she sent the TARDIS once more into the vortex, then out again to orbit one of the many planets. Tired, she practically stumbled her way to her room. She wanted to collapse down directly on her bed but she made herself remove her shoes and clothing first. Going to the shower, she washed quickly then dressed in a pair of blue pajamas that were now too big for her but still comfortable to sleep in. Climbing into the bed, she laid on one side before reaching out and taking the pillow that Jack had used in her arms. She could still smell him on it and she hugged the pillow to herself as she drifted off to sleep. 

-DW-

"You're talking to yourself again," she scolded herself one morning. She had been alone for a while now though she wasn't really sure exactly how long. It was easy to lose track of time, even for a Time Lord, while just floating in the vortex. She only came out occasionally to orbit a planet while working on the TARDIS or to venture out for food. Not that she tended to eat much causing her to become skinnier during her time alone. She also was beginning to feel sickly, something that she had yet to experience in this body. She tried to ignore it at first until she found herself sitting on her bed with her arms wrapped around a bin. 

She groaned as she pulled herself to her feet. She didn't tend to get sick and she didn't like it when she did. When she had companions on board, she would go out of her way to avoid them so that they never actually saw her sick and she could continue to claim that she had superior biology compared to the humans that she traveled with. Since she was alone, she didn't even bother to try to hide how poorly she was feeling as she made her way to the medi-bay. She would have the TARDIS run a quick scan, provide her with the correct medicine and she should be feeling better again by the end of the day. 

Going into the medi-bay, she went over to the bed with the light on above it. She put the bin on the floor by her before taking a seat. She didn't bother to try to hold herself up as she sat slumped staring at the floor while the TARDIS scanned her. There was a chime a moment later letting her know the scan was done. The drawer next to the bed opened and she reached in pulling out a small bottle of anti-emetics. She looked at the bottle confused then lifted her head finally to read the screen. 

"What?" she questioned as she read the results. On the screen was a basic outline of her body with a list of her basic vitals. Next to her stomach, though, was the single word, pregnant. It wasn't something that she had ever been able to experience before as this was the first body she had with the capability of getting pregnant and she wasn't sure how she felt about carrying the baby to term. She had no doubt in her mind she was going to, though, as this baby was innocent. She also knew exactly when and who had conceived this child. She also knew where to find him. She just didn't know how he would take the news. 

Taking a deep breath, she stood going to her room to dress. She took her time making herself completely presentable, even going so far to trim her hair with a pair of scissors to get rid of any split ends. Once she was cleaned up, she went to the control room and once more set the coordinates to the small bar that Jack favored. She just wasn't sure she wanted to find him there as she sent the TARDIS on her way.


	4. Chapter 4

"You got me pregnant," she stated as she approached the bar where Jack was sitting. The man he was flirting with took her statement as his cue to leave. Not that Jack noticed as he turned to look at her. His eyes roamed her body looking at her stomach before returning to her face. He met her eyes briefly before turning away to motion to the bartender for a refill on his whiskey. 

"You are the one who refused to use a condom," he answered her as she took a seat on the vacated stool. 

"What does a condom have anything to do with it?" she wondered in confusion. Jack's drink arrived and he took it before turning in his stool facing her. 

"You can't possibly make me believe that in all of the time you've been alive and traveling through space and time that you never used a condom while having sex before or something like it," he told her. 

"I've been busy and if it is really so important why don't you just enlighten me on why we should have used one," she snapped at him. He sighed as he reached up to rub the bridge between his nose. 

"A condom, a prophylactic, a rubber, or anything else that you want to call the small piece of latex that covers a man's cock in order to prevent pregnancy or the spread of disease," Jack explained. A look of understanding crossed her face. 

"Why didn't you just say so?" She asked him. 

"I tried and you told me to stop bringing up weird human things then laughed at me when I suggested I could get you pregnant. Look's like I was right about this one, Doc." He raised his shot of whiskey to her in salute before downing it again. He motioned for another drink and had the bartender bring her a glass of water as well. The man brought both over quickly as it was obvious that he had been listening in and was curious of how it was going to turn out. Jack ignored him as he looked once more to the Doctor. "I take it you are keeping the child."

"Of course I am keeping it," She answered indignantly as she picked up the cup of water. At one time she would have questioned having a baby and raising it on the TARDIS with no planet to call its home. Only now, she couldn't imagine not giving birth to the child she was carrying. She blamed the hormones and the fact that she was now a female. Not that she would voice that opinion out loud. "I just need to know if you want to help me raise your child or if you would prefer I raise it on my own." 

"Do I have to decide right now?" Jack wondered and she shook her head no. "You asked me one time if I wanted to die and I can't honestly tell you no anymore. There are some days I would love to give in to the never-ending darkness that awaits me but I have no choice but to keep going. Maybe for at least awhile, this baby can give me life again but I am just not sure I am ready to be the father it needs right now." He had given up the family part of his life many years ago after the deaths of both his lover Ianto and his grandson Stephen. It was his fault they both died and he never blamed Alice for disowning him. He didn't deserve to call himself her father after using her son to bounce the signal back to the 456 in order to stop them. 

"Take as long as you need. I just found out before I came to tell you and while I can process many thoughts at once all of them are focused on the fact that I am pregnant for the first time in over two thousand years and I don't know a thing about Time Lord pregnancies. I am going to have to find a doctor who I can trust but I don't know where to begin," She rambled on. Jack noted that this Doctor was more open about what she was thinking than his past Doctors. She also seemed to crave attention just as much and another part of his mind was focused on the fact that he might be able to get her into bed again. He didn't think there was a risk of getting her pregnant a second time and maybe he could convince her to let him explore her body with his hands or his mouth. 

"Martha Jones may not be actively practicing medicine at a hospital anymore but she is still a doctor," Jack reminded her.

"I haven't seen her in years," The Doctor admitted. 

"No, me either but I have kept up with her life through my old friend Gwen Cooper. Martha and Mickey are married and have a four-year-old son named August. They still freelance but they take fewer cases now as they don't want to leave their son as an orphan. If you take me back to Cardiff, I can have Gwen help me locate them so that we can ask Martha for her assistance in caring for you and the baby you are carrying," Jack explained to her. She nodded getting to her feet. He reached out his hand to her and she slipped her hand into his. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before getting to his feet as well. She led him back to the TARDIS and together they went into the control.

He leaned against one of the corals as he watched her pilot the TARDIS back to Cardiff. It had been years since he stepped foot in the city as he avoided it due to the memories the city held. He had lived in the city for over one hundred years building a life and having a family until he ruined it in a single day. Since then he had refused to step foot in the city again. Now he was going back with the Doctor to hopefully start a new family. One that would accept the fact he was immortal without question and allow him to raise his child and frankly he was terrified.


	5. Chapter 5

The flight back to Cardiff was short and didn't give him a lot of time to think. It didn't matter what his decision was at the moment, though, because regardless of what he chose keeping the woman carrying his child healthy came first. He would make sure that she got the care she needed from a doctor that they both trusted and do everything in his power to make sure that she carried their child to term. While he cared for her, he could make his decision. Even if he chose to walk away, he would make sure that his child wanted for nothing. That it was well cared for and that both the baby and its mother knew they could rely on him for anything. 

"We're here," the Doctor announced as she landed the TARDIS on what used to be Torchwood. The place had been destroyed due to a bomb that was conveniently hidden in his stomach. They had fixed the damaged ground and built a new Plas but Torchwood three was now gone. 

"Wait here while I get a vehicle so that I can take us to see Gwen," Jack told her as he headed to the door. The Doctor narrowed her eyes at him. 

"If you give me the coordinates to her home, I can just move the TARDIS to her location so that we don't have to drive," the Doctor suggested. Jack shook his head no. 

"Gwen is the last surviving member of Torchwood three. She understands that the original charter is wrong about you, but a lot of good people died and you weren't there to stop it. A fact that both of us resented you for even if we understood that you can't always be there to fix human mistakes. I forgave you because I know you, Doc but I am not sure how she feels. So right now, I think it would be better if we didn't announce who you were," Jack explained to her. 

"Fair enough. So who am I. I can't very well go by John Smith anymore," the Doctor questioned him a small frown appearing on her face. He didn't need the frown to tell him she was unhappy though because he could see it in her eyes and hear it in the tone she used when she spoke to him.

"We will just call you Jane for now. Jane Smith. You are my friend and we are looking for Martha to ask for assistance with a problem. She doesn't need to know any more than that and if I know Gwen she won't ask," Jack explained. 

"Fine. I am just wondering how you were planning on retrieving a car since you haven't been on Earth for the last few years. I am sure you have a plan, though so I will leave you to it," the Doctor told him smugly. Jack rolled his eyes. Of course, he had a plan. He was an ex-time agent and used to having to adapt to new planets. Only then he had the agency or Torchwood to provide everything he needed including IDs, money, and vehicles. He sighed knowing she was right. Torchwood was no longer beneath his feet and there was no one who could help him here. Reluctantly he gave the Doctor the address to Gwen's beach house allowing her to move the TARDIS closer to its location.

When they landed a second time, the Doctor didn't give him the option of asking her to stay as she moved quickly to the doors stepping outside. Jack stepped out after her closing the door behind them. He was thankful to see that she hadn't just landed in Gwen's living room but had listened to him about taking precautions and landed further down the beach making them walk to the home. The air was warm as the sun shone brightly down on them. Kids laughed as they ran across the beach avoiding the waves that nipped at their feet. Jack forgot that Cardiff could look like this because every time he thought of it he pictured the city rainy and cold. Maybe that was just because of what he lost but it was strange to see the sun. Still, he turned his head upward enjoying the feeling of the sun on his face as they walked. Upon arriving at the home, the Doctor stood back letting Jack take the lead as he climbed the stairs knocking on the door. 

"Jack," Gwen said happily as she pulled the door open. "It's good to see you."

"We're not in danger are we?" Rhys asked from behind her. 

"No, the Earth is safe at the moment," Jack answered. "At least I think it is."

"Well that is reassuring," Rhys huffed. A little girl with brown hair poked her head into the hallway, curious to see who her parents were talking to. It was easy for Jack to see that she was Gwen's daughter and he stared at her in disbelief. 

"Is that Anwen?" Jack wondered.

"It is. You've been gone a long time now Jack. She is about to celebrate her seventh birthday while her brother is five and younger sister is two," Gwen informed him. She looked past Jack to where the Doctor was still standing at the bottom of the steps. "Why are you here Jack?"

"I promise I am not here to recruit or for anything dangerous. I just need Martha's address and then I will be on my way," Jack reassured her. She nodded. 

"It's inside. I will get it for you," she closed the door disappearing out of sight but returning a moment later with a small slip of paper which she passed to Jack. He took it reading the address that was written. He wasn't surprised to see that she was living outside of London near her mum's house. She had always been close to her family and it made sense to him that she would choose to settle down there. 

"Thank you," Jack told her starting to turn away. She stopped him with a hand on his arm and he turned to look at her. She stepped forward pulling him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her hugging her just as tightly for a moment before releasing her and stepping back. He turned his back on her going down the stairs and starting across the beach back to the TARDIS. 

"That was easy," the Doctor spoke up as she fell into step with him. 

"Gwen has always been there for me and she knows not to ask a lot of questions. If we choose to stay on Earth for a while she can assist us in helping to get reestablished and find a home," Jack informed the Doctor. The Doctor made a face at his back. She was already pregnant and now he was expecting her to become domestic. Jack didn't need to see her face to sense her unhappiness about the suggestion. "We don't have to stay on Earth. The universe is a large place and there is too much to see to spend the rest of eternity on Earth. Still, it would be nice for our child to have a place to call home outside of the TARDIS."

"Nothing has to be decided now. So where is Martha living these days?" the Doctor asked him ignoring his statement. 

"London," Jack answered. He pulled out the paper and the Doctor took it reading the address. It would be a quick jump to Martha's location but as they climbed on the TARDIS and she started to put in the information she hesitated. While she trusted Martha she wasn't sure she was ready to talk to her. Martha had moved on and married Mickey. She didn't need the Doctor or the TARDIS anymore but once more she would be dragging Martha back into her life. Still, she needed a doctor that she trusted and Martha had proven herself time and time again. Before she could change her mind again, she pulled the handbrake to send them on their way.


	6. Chapter 6

She parked the TARDIS in the front garden outside of Martha's home. There was a time that she would have happily parked in Martha's living room, eager for her to board so they could start on their next adventure together. Now, too many years had passed and she wasn't even sure if Martha would welcome her into her home anymore. It was her own fault, of course, as she didn't like to look back. She had turned off the phone that Martha gave her after she regenerated into the man who fancied bowties, swearing that she would leave Martha to live out her life with Mickey.

"Are you coming, Doc?" Jack questioned. She looked over at him to find that he was already standing by the doors with one slightly open. 

"Yeah," She answers. She doesn't tell Jack about her conflict or her worry that Martha doesn't want to see her as she strolled confidently to the doors as well stepping out of them. Martha is waiting on the porch and she smiles as Jack stepped off the TARDIS as well pulling the door closed behind him. 

"Jack," Martha exclaimed as she hurried over to him. 

"Nightingale," Jack responds holding out his arms. The Doctor watched on as Martha hugged Jack tightly ignoring her. She felt ignored even as she reminded herself that Martha probably just didn't recognize her in this body. It allowed her, though, to focus on her old companion and she took in Martha. She was obviously older wearing a black shirt with jeans. Her hair was longer than the last time the Doctor saw her and it was neatly braided in many small braids that fell down her back. Her brown eyes shown brightly and the small silver ring on her left hand glistened against the sun. 

"We didn't think you were ever going to come back to earth," Martha informed Jack as she released the hug and took a step back so that she could look at him. 

"I didn't think I would be back either but times change," Jack admitted. 

"Not that much if you are traveling with the Doctor again. Where is he, by the way, I thought he would be out to see me by now unless he is hurt. Is that why you are here, Jack because the Doctor is hurt and is too stubborn to seek out medical help?" Martha rambled. Jack laughed.

"We are here for your medical advice but I can assure you he is not hurt. In fact, he is now she and she is pregnant," Jack answered as he gestured to the woman standing near him. Martha's mouth fell open as she turned to look at the woman that she had originally dismissed as a new companion. 

"No," She gasped. 

"Hello," The Doctor smiled and waved. Martha burst out laughing as she looked at the Doctor. 

"You're really him. You're the Doctor?" Martha questioned sounding like she didn't quite believe it. She looked towards the TARDIS again as if this were some elaborate prank and at any moment the Doctor would burst out of her doors. 

"I'm really him, I mean her," the Doctor answered. She held her arms out as Martha looked her over. 

"Just wait until I tell Mickey. He is not going to believe this," Martha laughed happily. The Doctor rolled her eyes as she looked at Jack. Jack was smiling just as broadly making her feel like she had missed something. She turned back to Martha.

"Where is Ricky? I thought he would be out here by now," The Doctor questioned on purposely getting Mickey's name wrong. 

"He is out on a job currently but he should be back later tonight," Martha answered not bothering to take the bait and correct the Doctor. Their son August was currently with her mother for the week giving her time alone. Not that she minded the Doctor interrupting it as she had waited years to see the Doctor again. Not that she had any hope that the Doctor would return as she knew that her days in the TARDIS were over and now were stories she told her son at night. "The house is currently empty if you want to come inside so that we can talk about your condition in private."

Jack gestured for her to go first and she led them inside her small home. The inside was sparsely decorated with a small sofa, a couple of chairs, and a telly that was currently off. A book sat on the coffee table next to have a half-drunk cup of tea. She offered them a drink as they took a seat on the sofa. She made Jack a cup of coffee and the Doctor a cup of tea before taking her seat again. She analyzed the Doctor with a doctor's eye making the Doctor try not to squirm as she sipped her tea. 

"So, you're pregnant and I am guessing you are the father Jack?" Martha asked them. Jack nodded. "I thought you didn't do relationships, Doctor."

"I don't," the Doctor answered. She really wished Martha would stop smiling at them like that. 

"Then I'm surprised that you didn't consider using birth control or at the very least condoms," Martha informed them. 

"Don't look at me. I suggested it, she is the one who insisted that we don't need them," Jack defended himself. 

"I am still not sure how it happened," the Doctor started. 

"Well you see Doc when a man puts his penis inside of a woman," Jack began.

"Jack," the Doctor interrupted rolling his name. Jack smiled feeling quite proud of himself as he let the sentence trail off. "I know that part. What I mean is I have a triple Helix DNA sequence while Jack here is human and only should have a double helix meaning our DNA shouldn't have been compatible enough to produce a child."

"I'm not a 21st-century human, Doctor. By the time I was born humans had begun altering their DNA by mating with other species," Jack reminded her. 

"I know that," the Doctor snapped. 

"Enough," Martha sighed. They both went quiet as they stared forward. "Good now, while you have been away I have been working at a clinic in London that caters to aliens. My expertise has grown with them but unfortunately, I don't have a file on Time Lords beyond what I learned about you while traveling. I am still willing to help you but you are going to have to help me update my files so that I can help you carry the baby to term."

"Alright," the Doctor agreed. That sounded simple enough. 

"Good, I am glad that we are in agreement. So to make sure all of my information is current, we will start with you giving me a breakdown of everything I need to know about your current body followed by a complete physical examination," Martha told her as she picked up a notebook that had been stashed by the arm of her chair. She pulled an ink pen out of the spirals before opening the notebook to a clean page. 

"Bugger," the Doctor moaned. Wondering if it was too late to run, she sipped her tea as she tried to decide how much she wanted to tell Martha.


	7. Chapter 7

Martha started off simple with basic questions such as age, approximate weight, and if the Time Lord had any new allergies that she knew of in this body. In her previous body, she had been highly prone to energy headaches but they seemed to have subsided by this one and she also claimed not to have a problem with her right heart anymore. The Doctor's tone was no longer cheerful as she spoke and it was quickly clear to Jack that just like always the Doctor hated talking about herself. During their times together, the Doctor always talked non stop about the star systems that were saved or the people that he had met during his travels but despite knowing the Doctor for over two thousand years, Jack still knew little about the Time Lord he called his friend. 

"When was the end date of your last menstrual cycle?" Martha asked. The Doctor just narrowed her eyes at her. She thought that the questions she was being asked couldn't become more embarrassing but she was wrong. 

"I don't have one," the Doctor answered through gritted teeth her eyes flitting towards the door and wondering how mad the two of them would be if she chose that moment to leave. Martha looked up from her notes, her own eyes following the Doctor's to the door before moving back to her face. 

"What do you mean you don't have one?" Martha questioned. 

"Time Lords don't reproduce the same way as humans. We preferred to loom our children in order to control the genetics that were passed down rather than leave it to chance. Children born of the body were considered inferior and were lucky to make it into the academy," the Doctor stated. 

"Were you a child of the machine?" Jack wondered. The Doctor glared at him. 

"I don't understand why that question is relevant to the current conversation but no I wasn't born of the machine, as you put it," The Doctor snapped at him. 

"Enough," Martha sighed. She wrote down unknown next to her notes and then continued on with her questions. It was clear to her that the Doctor was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the questions and after the fifth time her eyes darted towards the door Martha decided to give her a break from them. The Doctor was relieved as Martha closed the notebook placing it back into the side of her chair before standing up. "Would you like more tea?"

"I really should be going," the Doctor stated getting to her feet as well. 

"Before you leave, I want to give you a quick physical examination to make sure that you and the baby are healthy," Martha interrupted. 

"No, ta," the Doctor replied heading towards the door. Martha stood picking up her notebook as she fell in line walking with her unphased by the Doctor trying to run off. 

"I agree that it would be easier to perform the physical aspect of the examination in the TARDIS where we will have the medi-bay and I will also have access to your records to make sure the information you gave me is correct. We will also have the benefit of privacy unless you would like Jack to stay in the room with you while I examine you," Martha offered. The Doctor turned red mumbling something under her breath that Jack didn't catch as he hurried to join them. "I know I have already examined you once before but that was in another body. I may not be a genius Doctor but unless there is something you need to tell me, I won't have to perform a prostate exam again."

"You gave her a prostate exam?" Jack asked gleefully. The Doctor glared at him and he smiled at her. 

"No, I gave the Doctor a prostate exam back when she had the skinny body that liked to wear the brown suit. Though she is trying hard to forget that this isn't the first physical that I have performed, I subjected her to one after she nearly killed herself several times," Martha answered. They had reached the TARDIS and the Doctor opened the door going inside. She tried to slam the door shut but Martha was already there and she put her foot in the way. The Doctor threw her hands up in frustration as she stormed up to the console. 

"Fine. You can examine me but Jack is not allowed in the medi-bay," the Doctor told her. 

"Deal," Martha agreed. Jack hung back for a moment as the two of them disappeared down the corridor together. Once they were gone, he went further into the TARDIS in search of his old room. He was surprised to find it down the companion's corridor where it had always been and even more surprised to find that nothing had changed since the last time he set foot in the room. The Doctor had kept everything the same down to the coat that he had left thrown over the back of a chair. He opened the wardrobe to find his own clothing and wondered briefly why he had worn tight black trousers and white t-shirts. Then again he had only been in his thirties at the time. Now he was over two possibly three thousand years old and the wardrobe he had left in the TARDIS didn't seem right anymore. He closed the drawers and moved around the room exploring it as memories resurfaced. 

He had been happy here once. He had thought that he finally had found a home traveling with the Doctor and Rose. For the first time in as long as he could remember he wasn't trying to con someone for money or a quick lay along with a place to sleep for the night. Yes, he still flirted constantly and still used his charm to get what he wanted but he returned to the TARDIS with the two people he cared about feeling like he finally had a place he belonged. That had all changed aboard the Gamestation and the Doctor chose to leave him behind. After that, Cardiff had become his home and a part of him still missed it even after all these years.

He didn't bother to move the sheets before flopping down on the bed and laying on his back as he stared up at the ceiling. He once more had a chance at happiness with the Doctor building a life with her and the child she was carrying. He didn't know if he deserved that happiness after the pain he caused but a part of him really wanted it. He wanted to wake up with the Doctor each morning and fall asleep at night with her in his arms. He wanted to feel her body move with his and kiss her freely because he could. He also wanted the child she was carrying and to give that child a brother or sister down the line, then to raise their children together. Another part of him just wanted to run and leave it all behind as he searched the stars. For what, he didn't know but he was sure he would know it when he found it. 

"Come in," he called out as a knocking at the door snapped him out of his thoughts and he sat up quickly. Martha opened the door poking her head into the room. 

"I just thought you should know that we are done and I am going to head back to my home before she decides to run again," Martha explained. The physical examination had gone well enough but the Doctor had been unhappy with having to dress in a gown then have Martha check parts of her she had refused to let Jack see. As soon as Martha was done, she had run as quickly as she could to the shower determined to wash as she reassured herself that she was better than apes.

"How is she?" Jack wondered getting to his feet. 

"She is unhappy with me but physically she is fine and as far as I can tell the baby is growing properly. I will need to see her again in a couple of weeks to make sure that is still the case but I don't see any reason to try to keep her on Earth right now as long as she doesn't on purposely put herself into danger," Martha answered as the two of them headed towards the TARDIS doors. 

"I will make sure she stays safe," Jack promised. He paused at the door as Martha stepped off. 

"Mickey should be home soon. I am going to start tea and if the Doctor hasn't decided to run, you two are welcome to join us. I am sure that Mickey would love to see her again," Martha explained. 

"I will see what I can do," Jack answered. Martha turned to head towards her house and Jack closed the door behind her before going further into the TARDIS to find the Doctor. Her room remained hidden from him though, so he eventually settled in his own again as he fought with himself over the baby. He was again disturbed a little later only the Doctor didn't bother to knock as she let herself in his room. Her hair was still wet from the shower and she was wearing a pair of pajamas. "Martha invited us to tea."

"I'm not hungry," the Doctor answered. Jack looked at her ready to argue but it was clear the Doctor still wasn't happy. He lifted his arms in invitation and didn't have to wait long before she climbed up onto the bed with him. He held her close as she pressed herself against him laying her head on his chest. He didn't mind that his shirt was now damp as he held her with one arm and ran his fingers through her hair with the other. They didn't talk as he listened to her breathing slow and soon she was sleeping peacefully in his arms. Adding this moment as a reason to stay, he turned his attention back to the ceiling as he let her rest.


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor was reluctant as she followed Martha across the control room and down the corridor towards the medi-bay. Even if the control room had changed drastically since the last time Martha was on board the general layout of the rest of the TARDIS was the same so Martha had no problem finding the room that she was looking for. The Doctor thought briefly about running but instead chose to hold her head up high as she followed Martha into the room and closed the doors tightly behind them. A red light turned on in the corridor signaling that the medi-bay was in use with the door locked so that Jack couldn't accidentally walk in on them during the examination. 

"All right, so before we begin I will need you to strip down and put on a gown so that I can examine you easier," Martha informed her. The Doctor just stared at her as Martha went to the medical cupboard retrieving the items that she would need along with a gown for the Doctor to wear. Martha had traveled with the Doctor long enough that she wasn't surprised when she returned to the room to find the Doctor still fully dressed with her arms crossed. "I really don't have any plans for the next couple of hours so I can wait as long as you can."

"Apes," the Doctor mumbled as she took the gown from Martha and stepped behind the curtain to put it on. Martha had made her wear a gown last time as well and she thought that it couldn't get any worse when Martha had her turn her head and cough until she was bent over the table with a finger in her arse. She sighed resigning herself to the fact that this exam was going to be just as embarrassing but in a different way. Moving around the curtain she looked longingly at the door as she made her way over to the bed and took a seat. 

"I know you don't want to be here, Doc. I have had these examinations myself and I know what they are like. I will make this as easy on you as possible and I want you to ask any questions that you think of during it," Martha explained to her. 

"I only have one," the Doctor stated. 

"You are free to leave at any time you wish. Just like last time, I am not going to force you to let me examine you but for your health as well as the health of your unborn child, I would really like it if you stayed," Martha answered already knowing the Doctor's question. 

"Fine," the Doctor sighed. 

"Great then let's get started." The basics of the exam were just like the Doctor remembered with Martha weighing her before checking her ears, eyes, mouth, hearts, and lungs. She took blood depositing it into the drawer beside the TARDIS before moving on. The Doctor wasn't happy but tolerated as Martha checked her lymph nodes and then her reflexes as this body wasn't that old yet and as a Time Lord tended to last longer than a human's body. Even after she lost her leg in her eleventh body she was still able to move around better than humans in their forties as she continued to protect the people of Christmas. 

"Are we done?" the Doctor questioned once Martha stood. Martha gave her a small smile and shook her head no. The Doctor thought that she was embarrassed as Martha checked her breasts for lumps but it was nothing to the mortification she felt as she was laid back putting her feet into the stirrups beside the bed. She stared up at the ceiling naming all the galaxies in alphabetically order as she tried to ignore what Martha was doing. She heard the drawer open and close beside the bed again as Martha dropped the most recent test inside to be analyzed. "Now?"

"One more thing and then I will let you go," Martha promised as she picked up what the Doctor recognized as an internal ultrasound. She stared back up at the ceiling as she decided to name every way she was better than an ape. She made sure that she was just loud enough that Martha could hear her as Martha took the measurements that she needed. "You'll be happy to know that everything looks good. The baby is growing correctly and there doesn't seem to be any problems. Because it is your first pregnancy and you lead a very active lifestyle I will be keeping a close eye on you but for now, I don't have any problem letting you return to traveling as long as you don't try to run for your life constantly."

"So we are done?" The Doctor asked.

"We're done," Martha agreed as she helped the Doctor to lower her legs and didn't try to stop her as the Doctor ran out of the room without bothering to dress again. The Doctor didn't stop moving until she was in her ensuite under the hot water of the shower. While she knew every part of the examination was necessary it didn't help her dislike having Martha touch her under her clothing. She didn't do that sort of thing normally, not even with Jack and just needed to wash the feeling away. While she knew Martha would have to examine her in the future, she wondered briefly about how Jack would feel about delivering the child she was carrying. She decided that she would ask him later as she turned off the water. Drying, she dressed in her favorite pair of blue pajamas. She looked briefly at her bed and thought about laying down in it. Instead, she let her feet carry her to Jack's room. She was tired, miserable, and just wanted to be held in his arms for a while. Not that she would admit the last part out loud. Going to his room, she didn't bother to knock as she let herself inside. 

"Martha invited us to tea," Jack informed her as she came into the room. The thought of food made her stomach flip and she swallowed before speaking. 

"I'm not hungry," She answered as she continued to stare at him as he laid on his bed. She wanted to climb in with him but she waited until he lifted up his arms inviting her into his bed. She tried not to let her relief show as she crossed the short distance to him and climbed up on the bed with him laying her head down on his chest as she pressed her body to his. His arm wrapped tightly around her holding her as he ran his fingers through her hair in a way that she found comforting in her last body with him and apparently still enjoyed in this one. She hadn't planned on falling asleep but safe in his arms she found her eyelids growing heavy and she let them close as she breathed in Jack's unique scent. She knew in her hearts that he was still trying to figure out what he wanted. She didn't blame him for not knowing as she never made it easy on him but as she drifted off to sleep her last thought was just a single hope. 

Stay.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated how the last season turned out so I am fixing it with this chapter.

The Doctor woke up feeling safe and comfortable in Jack's arms. She couldn't remember the last time that she just let someone hold her while she slept and she was reluctant to move. She knew that she shouldn't allow herself to get close to him though. He was still debating on whether or not he wanted to stay with her and help raise the child and it would hurt even more when he walked away leaving her alone once more. It was what she deserved but it wasn't what she wanted. 

"Stay," the Doctor whispered softly against his chest. 

"What was that?" Jack questioned. The Doctor turned her head to look at him seeing his bright blue eyes staring down at her. 

"I want you to stay," she told him. Jack hugged her a little closer. 

"I don't plan on going anywhere at the moment," Jack informed her. The Doctor shook her head no. 

"I mean after the baby is born. I want you to stay and help me to raise our child," the Doctor replied. Jack narrowed his eyes at her but she continued before he could speak. "I know you aren't sure that you want to but it would be best for a child to have both parents to raise it. I mean, I have been a man up until this body so I could be both a mum and a dad to our child but I wouldn't be able to teach it everything on my own."

"What about your companions?" Jack asked. 

"I'm not going back for them. They have each other and without me, Yaz can finally become a full member of the police force while Ryan and Graham can get on with their lives. They don't need me dragging them halfway across the universe anymore. Especially since I won't be traveling as much or anywhere dangerous for awhile. At least until it is old enough to defend itself. In the meantime, I have no choice but to settle down to raise my child in safety. As much as I don't like it, that means I will have to stay on Earth since the Master destroyed Gallifrey," the Doctor rambled. Jack's eyes narrowed even further at the last statement. 

"What do you mean the Master destroyed Gallifrey. I thought Gallifrey had been lost during the Time War," Jack stated. Realizing how long it had been since the Doctor last saw him, the Doctor gave him a brief explanation. She told him about figuring out that Gallifrey was in a micro-universe that it managed to escape from. That she had looked for it before finally finding out that it was hidden safely at the end of the universe. She then told him about the Master using the cybermen to destroy the planet. About how he converted her people into Cybermen and Time Lord hybrids leaving her no choice but to destroy the planet once more in order to save the universe. 

"Let me get this straight. The Master used a small army of Cybermen to destroy Gallifrey," Jack stated. The Doctor nodded against him. Her eyes were full of tears from the explanation but she made no move to wipe them away. "I'm sorry, Doc, but I don't believe it."

"I saw it with my own eyes," the Doctor whispered. 

"I am sure you saw what the Master wanted you to see but I doubt it was the truth. You said it yourself that the Master is strangely hypnotic, he also knows how to manipulate you which he proved many times over the years. It is possible that he made you see what he wanted you to in order to break you," Jack replied. 

"Don't give me hope, Jack," she begged him softly. 

"Hope is exactly what it sounds like you need at the moment because you need to really think about it, Doc. Your people spent years fighting a fleet of Daleks when one or two can easily wipe out a small town and can take out cybermen. Yet, you're telling me that a small army of cybermen were able to destroy your entire planet within a matter of days. I am sorry Doctor but I don't believe it and I don't think you should either," Jack answered. The Doctor turned her head from him burying it against his chest. 

"He had no way of knowing where on Gallifrey I would go," the Doctor argued even if it sounded like a pathetic argument even to her. 

"You told me once that you and the Master were once friends and I watched you spend part of the year with him until he locked me up in the boiler room. He knew exactly what to say to make you listen to him, do you really think for a moment that he didn't know exactly where you would go to confirm that your planet was gone?" Jack questioned her. She looked up at him the hope clear in her eyes along with a hint of fear. They locked eyes for less than a minute before she scrambled out of his arms and off the bed. Jack gave chase as she ran down the corridor into the control room. The last time she had gone to Gallifrey with the TARDIS she had gone to the Citadel. The Master knew her well enough to know that she would have never gone home to check if he was telling the truth due to her strained relationship with her father. But now that is exactly where she was going. She set the coordinates on the TARDIS to the small home that she shared with her family while growing up and pulled the hand brake. Jack didn't talk to her as she raced around the controls piloting the TARDIS with an ease that she didn't normally show. She was always one step ahead proving to Jack that she could really drive the TARDIS properly when she wanted to. The TARDIS barely stopped thrumming before she was running to the doors. It was there that she hesitated with one hand on the handle ready to push them open but it was clear she was terrified of what she would find. Jack walked up slowly behind her. 

"Go ahead, Doc and remember no matter what you find out there, I will be will waiting right here when you get back," Jack reassured her. The Doctor nodded taking a deep breath. She was still wearing her jimjams but she didn't want to get changed because if she was right she would just be crawling back in bed anyway. Closing her eyes, she pulled the door open before she could change her mind. 

"Theta?" a familiar voice spoke from outside the door. Daring to hope, she opened one of her eyes just a crack looking out at the brightly lit planet. An older woman was standing just outside of her home. The woman was wearing a soft orange shirt and brown trousers with no shoes. The Doctor's eyes went to the woman's face next seeing that she had a confused look on her pale face that was surrounded by golden blonde curls. "Are you alright?"

"Mum?" the Doctor questioned in Gallifreyan as she opened her other eye in order to look directly at the woman. "Is that really you?" 

"It's really me," the woman answered her also in Gallifreyan. The Doctor smiled broadly as she stepped off the TARDIS closing the door almost completely behind her. Jack moved so that he could look out the small crack between the doors seeing the Doctor hugging the woman tightly. The two of them held each other for a long moment then moved towards the house together. Jack was tempted to step off the TARDIS and explore the planet but it was well known that humans weren't allowed on Gallifrey and he didn't feel like spending the rest of eternity in a prison cell. So, instead of stepping off, he retreated deeper into the TARDIS in order to wait for the Doctor's return.


	10. Chapter 10

The Doctor followed her mother into the familiar home. Even though years had passed on Gallifrey since had lived in this home, everything looked and smelled the same. The family crest on the wall still hung in the same place and the old wooden table that she had traced the design on so many times that she was positive that if she looked close enough would still have the imprint of the crest sat between the two blue-clothed wooden chairs and similar-looking couch. The furniture on Gallifrey had always been simple and practical regardless of someones standing in the community. To buy things more extravagant was seen as boasting about your position and therefore frowned upon by others. Her own room at the top of the stairs had held no more than a bed, wardrobe, simple chair, and small bookcase. She had hardly slept in the room as a child but it was comforting to know that the room remained whenever she needed to return home for a while. 

Together they went into the kitchen and she took a seat at the small table as her mother went to put the kettle on. She pretended not to notice as her father slipped out of the house a moment later. He had disowned her many years ago and while her mother had always remained close to her, she had never been able to repair the relationship she once had with her father. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't be the Time Lord that he expected her to be and that she had failed to meet his expectations one too many times. He had finally washed his hands of her when she divorced from the arranged marriage she had been unhappy in leaving her wife and three sons behind to go live with the nameless on the streets of Gallifrey instead. Nothing she did from that point on would make her father proud of her and their relationship had faded to passing glances as he hurried away from the house soon after her arrivals. 

Her mother didn't ever comment on her father's absence while she was around and this was no exception. Instead, she cut them both a slick slice of bread from the loaf cooling by the window smearing it with fresh butter and drizzling it with honey. She made the Doctor her tea just like she preferred, strong and overly sweet before bringing everything over to the table. The Doctor lifted the bread happily taking a bite of the still-warm piece. It brought back memories of being a child in this kitchen and stealing pieces of the bread her mother would bake each day for their supper. 

"You're spoiling him again. He will never be a good Time Lord if he doesn't learn discipline and control," her father would complain as she hid beneath the table happily snacking. Her mother would agree but that never stopped her from leaving the loaf within reach with the end already cut off for him to enjoy. 

"What brings you home this time, my child?" her mother wondered snapping her out of her thoughts of the past. She took another bite not commenting as she chewed and swallowed the piece allowing her a moment to think. She wasn't about to tell her mother that she was carrying a half-human child. That conversation could wait until her child was an adult and able to defend itself against the council. She needed answers though about what Koschei had told her. So setting down her bread, she turned so that she was facing her mother. 

"Have you ever heard of someone called the Timeless Child?" She asked. Her mother smiled. 

"Where did you hear that name?" She wondered. 

"The Master mentioned it the last time I saw him," she stated. She had always had trouble lying to her mother. Somehow her mother always saw through those lies and she knew it wasn't just because of the family bond that they kept. So telling her mother the truth was the best way to get the answers she needed but she kept the details to a minimum.

"You always did put too much thought into things that boy said. The Timeless child is just a fairy tale told to some children as a way to explain where the regeneration abilities came from. It is nothing more than a myth and an attempt by others to discredit Rassilon. There is has been no proof provided that such a child ever existed yet there are still some people who claim its existence," Her mother told her calmly before taking a sip of her tea. The Doctor took a sip of her own tea before she asked her next question. 

"He seemed to think that I was the Timeless child," She admitted to her mother. Her mother laughed as she reached out placing a hand gently on her arm. 

"You are my child of the flesh. I would know better than anyone if you were a Timeless being from another dimension. I carried you next to my hearts for eleven months and gave birth to you in the very room that you now call your own," her mother reassured her. She nodded feeling silly for even asking her mother about the myth as she felt comfort was over her. Her mother hadn't used the bond to reassure her since she was a child but it was welcome as she let the bond soothe her. She had got herself worked up for nothing and now she was pregnant with Jack's child because she let her emotions get out of hand. Not that she regretted being pregnant. It didn't matter how this child came into the universe, she still planned to love it no matter what.

"Thank you. I was wrong to listen to him," she told her mother. Her mother patted her arm, then pulled away. She could still feel the bond connection strongly and she held onto it as she finished off her bread and tea. The conversation turned to what was happening on Gallifrey while she had been gone. It was nothing really new as things didn't tend to change. The Time Lords were set in their ways about watching over the universe but not interfering with anything but her own life. She knew she wasn't being fair with that last thought only she didn't care at the moment. They had tried to force her too many times to conform to their ways and her only escape had been to steal a TARDIS and escape to the stars. She told her mother a little about her own recent adventure leaving Jack out of them as she explained her travels. 

The day passed comfortably as they enjoyed each other's company. She stayed for a light supper of homemade soup before making her way out of the home. She hugged her mother tightly as they said goodbye, promising she would be back soon even if she didn't have any intention of keeping the promise. The twin suns were just starting to set as she made her way back to the TARDIS and she turned to watch the silver leaves of the forest blaze as if the leaves were on fire. The image had scared her as a child and brought back the horrible nightmare of watching the planet burn because she had been helpless to save it. She had no other choice that day when she had used the moment to stop the endless war and the moment had forced her to stay alive as she watched the planet be destroyed. It was only in her eleventh body that she had managed to change time but that wouldn't stop the nightmares or change the fact that at one point she was truly alone in the universe. 

"Not anymore," she whispered as she placed a hand on her stomach and forced herself to turn away from the image. She wanted a drink but instead, she would settle for two arms to hold her and help carry the pain for a while and she knew just where to find that comfort. Going inside, it was easy for her to find Jack lounging in the library with a book in his hand. 

"Did you enjoy your visit?" Jack questioned her as he heard her approach.

"I did," she agreed.

"So, I guess this means you don't need me anymore after all. You can raise our child here among your people. Just do me a favor and drop me back at the bar you found me at first rather than leaving me stranded at some random space station," Jack told her. The Doctor frowned as she went around the couch. 

"Don't be ridiculous. I am not going to raise our child on this planet. I hated my life here and I am not going to subject it to that. They will look down on my child not only because it is mine but it is a child of the flesh and half-human. Our child will never fit in here and I will not listen to him cry in the barn at night thinking no one is going to come or try to hang himself in the rafters after being bullied in school and unable to meet the grades that were expected," The Doctor ranted. She quickly went quiet after realizing what she said looking across the library as if she were suddenly interested in the books on that side of the room. Jack didn't comment but he couldn't help but notice when the child turned from it to him and knew that the little boy the Doctor was referring to had been herself. His own heart broke for that scared child and he agreed silently that their child would never go through that. 

"Come here," Jack whispered holding open his arms. To his relief, she sat down on the couch in front of him allowing him to wrap his arms around her. She was tense as he held her even if she had desperately wanted his arms only moments before. "Listen to me."

"You realize I was speaking hypothetically," the Doctor interrupted him. 

"I know," Jack agreed, as he kissed her softly on the cheek. "I am not going to let our child grow up scared or alone, though. I know what that feels like too, Doc, and I promise you that our child will never have to go through that."

"Does that mean you will stay?" the Doctor asked softly, barely daring to hope that their time together wasn't over after all.

"I'll stay," Jack agreed. The Doctor felt the relief was over her from his words. She leaned against him allowing herself to relax into his embrace as he rested once more against the couch. They were going to be a family, and maybe one day they could even give the child she was carrying a sibling to play with. She smiled at the thought even if it did mean having sex again with Jack but that had actually been more enjoyable than she expected. The thought startled her as she had never really been overly sexual. Yes, she had sex on occasion but that had always been with her on the top. Being penetrated was a new experience and she had been embarrassed to spread her legs for him even if she had wanted him that night. She shuddered slightly at the thought. "All ready thinking of me making love to you?"

"Stop it," She complained softly. She rolled her eyes as he kissed the side of her neck. He was right but she wasn't in the mood at the moment to have sex with him again. Maybe tomorrow and maybe she might even let him leave the lights on this time. Maybe.


End file.
